Our elephant conservation holidays
Our elephant conservation holidays allow you to make a genuine difference to the survival of these gentle giants in the wild, as well as to their welfare in ethically run sanctuaries when they cannot be returned to their natural habitat. In sanctuaries in Africa and Asia, you’ll spend a week or longer at a volunteer project, living on-site with other travellers from many different backgrounds. Typically, your daily tasks will involve preparing food, enrichment, maintaining enclosures and scooping up a whole lot of elephant dung. Expect hard but rewarding work, and consider adding on a few days afterwards to relax after your efforts. We also offer elephant conservation tours where you’ll help to protect elephants in the wild, combining research work with community outreach and perhaps habitat protection. Ultimately, the aim is to ensure that these elephants never need to enter a sanctuary in the first place.
Our top Elephant conservation holidays
Over 50s volunteering with elephants, South Africa
From
£1395
8 days
ex flights
Over 50s group volunteer with elephants adventure in Africa
Small group2026: 1 Mar, 18 Oct
Elephant conservation project in Namibia
From
£995 to £4995
11 days
ex flights
Preserve the beautiful desert elephants of Namibia!
Small group2026: 5 Jan, 19 Jan, 2 Feb, 16 Feb, 2 Mar, 16 Mar, 30 Mar, 13 Apr, 27 Apr, 11 May, 25 May, 8 Jun, 22 Jun, 6 Jul, 20 Jul, 3 Aug, 17 Aug, 31 Aug, 14 Sep, 28 Sep, 12 Oct, 26 Oct, 9 Nov, 23 Nov, 7 Dec
Elephant refuge volunteering in Thailand
From
£695
8 days
ex flights
Volunteer with rescued elephants in an inspiring refuge
Tailor made
Family community volunteering and elephant watching, Thailand
From
£525 to £550
6 days
ex flights
Volunteering and elephant watching in a Karen village
Tailor made
Elephant conservation holiday, Thailand
From
£695
7 days
ex flights
Care for Asian elephants saved from a life of abuse
Small groupTrips last for 1-6 weeks and start every week on a Sunday
Elephant conservation holiday for families, Namibia
From
£1250 to £1349
11 days
ex flights
Thrilling family adventure: Track, protect & save elephants!
Tailor made
Big five conservation in South Africa
From
£695 to £6095
8 days
ex flights
Volunteer with the Big Five in South Africa.
Small group2025: 22 Dec, 29 Dec, 2026: 5 Jan, 12 Jan, 19 Jan, 26 Jan, 2 Feb, 9 Feb, 16 Feb, 23 Feb, 2 Mar, 9 Mar, 16 Mar, 23 Mar, 30 Mar, 6 Apr, 13 Apr, 20 Apr, 27 Apr, 4 May, 11 May, 18 May, 25 May, 1 Jun, 8 Jun, 15 Jun, 22 Jun, 29 Jun, 6 Jul, 13 Jul, 20 Jul, 27 Jul, 3 Aug, 10 Aug, 17 Aug, 24 Aug, 31 Aug, 7 Sep, 14 Sep, 21 Sep, 28 Sep, 5 Oct, 12 Oct, 19 Oct, 26 Oct, 2 Nov, 9 Nov, 16 Nov, 23 Nov, 30 Nov
Elephant & wildlife conservation volunteering in Sri Lanka
From
£895
7 days
ex flights
Help wild elephants & wildlife in Sri Lanka
Small group2025: 21 Dec, 28 Dec, 2026: 4 Jan, 11 Jan, 18 Jan, 25 Jan, 1 Feb, 8 Feb, 15 Feb, 22 Feb, 1 Mar, 8 Mar, 15 Mar, 22 Mar, 29 Mar, 5 Apr, 12 Apr, 19 Apr, 26 Apr, 3 May, 10 May, 17 May, 24 May, 31 May, 7 Jun, 14 Jun, 21 Jun, 28 Jun, 5 Jul, 12 Jul, 19 Jul, 26 Jul, 2 Aug, 9 Aug, 16 Aug, 23 Aug, 30 Aug, 6 Sep, 13 Sep, 20 Sep, 27 Sep, 4 Oct, 11 Oct, 18 Oct, 25 Oct, 1 Nov, 8 Nov, 15 Nov, 22 Nov, 29 Nov, 6 Dec, 13 Dec, 20 Dec, 27 Dec ...
South Africa volunteering with the big five
From
£1295
15 days
ex flights
Take part in the conservation of Africa's wildlife
Small group2025: 22 Dec, 29 Dec, 2026: 5 Jan, 12 Jan, 19 Jan, 26 Jan, 2 Feb, 9 Feb, 16 Feb, 23 Feb, 2 Mar, 9 Mar, 16 Mar, 23 Mar, 30 Mar, 6 Apr, 13 Apr, 20 Apr, 27 Apr, 4 May, 11 May, 18 May, 25 May, 1 Jun, 8 Jun, 15 Jun, 22 Jun, 29 Jun, 6 Jul, 13 Jul, 20 Jul, 27 Jul, 3 Aug, 10 Aug, 17 Aug, 24 Aug, 31 Aug, 7 Sep, 14 Sep, 21 Sep, 28 Sep, 5 Oct, 12 Oct, 19 Oct, 26 Oct, 2 Nov, 9 Nov, 16 Nov, 23 Nov, 30 Nov
See all our Elephant conservation holidaysContact Us
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Highlights of our elephant conservation holidays
Where to go: Africa
Our elephant conservation holidays in Africa focus mostly on South Africa and Namibia. In South Africa you will often be volunteering at centres where the elephants have been rescued from circuses or breeding farms and cannot be reintroduced to the wild. Depending on the trip, you may also be helping with other members of the Big Five including lions and rhinos. In Namibia, meanwhile, much of the elephant conservation work is unfenced. You will be out in the wild, working with expert scientific teams to track, tag and monitor desert elephants. The conservation element here comes from helping to prevent elephants from coming into conflict with local communities and combat poaching.
Where to go: Asia
In Asia, our elephant conservation tours are set mostly in Thailand and Sri Lanka. The elephant is Thailand’s national animal, but also an endangered species due to habitat loss caused by the logging industry. Our holidays usually involve volunteering at elephant sanctuaries in locations such as Chiang Mai and the Malay Peninsula, though you may also have the chance to follow semi-wild elephants in the jungle, with accommodation in community-run homestays that also offer an interesting cultural dimension to your stay. The work in Sri Lanka usually involves monitoring wild elephants in places such as Wasgamuwa National Park. This is combined with outreach campaigns in local villages to try and reduce conflict over crop damage – a frequent concern as elephants’ habitat is squeezed by the expansion of human communities.
Sanctuaries & our policies
Our stance on elephant sanctuaries is informed by correspondence with NGOs and charities, our holiday partners and the sanctuaries themselves. Based on this, we do not offer any holidays that visit elephant sanctuaries or camps that offer riding, bathing or any form of trained performance.
Many of us love the thought of visiting an elephant sanctuary when on holiday, perhaps even volunteering at one. Sadly though, not every sanctuary is a genuine place of safety. Many are little more than tourist camps where profit is put ahead of animal welfare. Although most sanctuaries depend on tourism income for survival, our holidays are carefully screened to ensure that the places we visit treat their elephants ethically.
Family volunteering
Volunteering with elephants might be one of the most memorable and rewarding holidays you ever take as a family. Our trips are specially tailored to families, so that while the work offers plenty of challenge and a real sense of achievement, there is also enough downtime for you to relax and enjoy yourselves. Besides your daily tasks, and getting to know the elephants, you can spend time in local communities, or explore the area. In Africa you can tie a safari onto the end of your volunteer project, while in Asia you might add time on the coast. Holidays are usually about a week long and can fit nicely into school holidays, giving the children plenty to boast about when they get back. The only hard part is saying goodbye to the elephants at the end, and telling your kids that no, they can’t have one at home because it wouldn’t get along with the cat.
Our Elephant conservation holidays reviews
4.9
20Elephant conservation holidays reviews
Mark and Louise Shaw30 May 2025
This has been one of my favourite holidays and has really sparked an interest in trying other volunteer experiences. There were so many memorable and exciting parts there is no way I could narrow it down to one! Meeting the elephants for the first time was amazing, but then walking with them, spending time with them and getting to know their personalities was really special.read more
Louise Smith07 Dec 2024
This experience was the highlight of our holiday in Thailand. I actually didn't want to leave the village. Thank you to the local operator for everything you are doing.read more
Bridget Pavitt02 Dec 2024
Amazing! Highly recommended. The team were lovely and made us feel part of the family. If doing it again (likely), I'd stay at least 2 weeks.read more
Sian James07 Apr 2024
It was a fantastic experience, we really enjoyed and appreciated spending time in the village and seeing the elephants. As long as you have a family used to the outdoors, hard work and basics it was a great learning experience for children too.read more
